-sports, but fonder still of books, and
had an aptitude for teaching which many professed tutors do not possess.
For the sake of indulging in both his fancies, he undertook to instruct
us at a very moderate stipend. My father had found him during one of
his journeys eastward at a wayside store--which he had visited for the
purpose of obtaining a supply of powder and shot--without a cent in his
pocket to pay for it. He had been endeavouring to persuade the
storekeeper that he would return in the course of a week with a number
of skins amply sufficient to pay his debts; but the wary trader, looking
at his ungainly figure and discovering that he was a "Britisher," was
unwilling to trust him. Finding that all his arguments were useless,
taking a book from his pocket, he had sat down in a corner of the store,
philosophically to console himself by its perusal. My father entering
found him thus engaged, and glancing his eye on the book, his surprise
was considerable to find that it was a copy of one of the Greek
classics. My father addressed the stranger, and soon discovered that he
was a well-informed man. After some further conversation, he was pretty
well satisfied that he was also an honest one. Mr Tidey, finding a
person who could sympathise with him, poured forth the history of his
adventures and misfortunes. He had come over to America with the
intention of establishing a school, but his slender means had been
almost exhausted before he could obtain any pupils, his attainments
indeed being at that time such as were not generally required in the
States. Believing that he could replenish his exhausted exchequer more
satisfactorily by means of his gun than in any other way, he had come
westward; but the game of which he was in search he found had been
driven further into the wilderness than he had expected, and an illness
of some weeks' duration had entirely emptied his purse. He had
notwithstanding, trudged boldly forward, though the game he killed had
been barely sufficient to supply himself with the necessaries of life.
From several letters and other documents which he exhibited, my father,
being convinced that Mr Tidey had given a true account of himself,
invited him to Uphill farm. The poor man jumped at the offer.

"With all the pleasure in the world, my dear sir," he answered, the
tears starting to his eyes. "You have boys to teach, I'll teach them.
If you've game to be shot, I'll shoot it. If you've acc